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Chelonoidis porteri

Chelonoidis porteri

(Rothschild, 1903)
Tortuga Gigante de Santa Cruz

Family: Testudinidae
Order: Testudines
Class: Reptilia
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Description


The western Santa Cruz tortoise (Chelonoidis niger porteri) is a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise endemic to Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos. They are found only on the southwestern slopes of the island, with an estimated range of 141 sq. kilometers. There are approximately 3400 individuals in the wild, and have seen rising numbers in population, despite being critically endangered. MtDNA evidence shows that there are actually three genetically distinct populations on Santa Cruz Island. They are characterised by a black, oval carapace (to 130 cm) that is domed, higher in the centre than in the front, and broad anteriorly. Their life expectancy is 175 years.

In 2015, the small, eastern Cerro Fatal population of the island was described as a distinct subspecies, C. n. donfaustoi, most closely related to chathamensis (and forming a clade with it plus abingdoni and hoodensis), while the main southwestern porteri population was found to be closer to the Floreana and southern Isabela tortoises.

Source: Wikipedia, article Chelonoidis porteri. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 16/07/2026.





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Species photographs

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Foto
Photography ID: 118067
  Adult

Isla Santa Cruz
Islas Galápagos
Ecuador
02/07/2014
Julian Garcia



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Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
34174007/02/2014EcuadorIslas GalápagosIsla Santa CruzJulian Garcia
Page 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Chelonoidis porteri – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 14/09/2026.